A New Beginning (Sasori Fanfiction - Romance)
by tsukidust97
Summary: After the fourth shinobi world war, the Sage of Six Paths resurrected the lives of the shinobi he felt needed a second chance to live including some members of the Akatsuki. Two of some Konoha's greatest Jonins are assigned a life-long mission to help two former criminals live a better life. Little did Tsukiko know she would fall in love with one of them. Romance focused on Sasori.
1. Chapter 1 - A New Beginning

**After the fourth shinobi world war, The Sage of Six Paths resurrected the lives of dead shinobi who he believed needed a second chance to live and stone for their sins, including members of Akatsuki. Two of Konoha's elite Jonins named Itachi and Tsukiko, are assigned a lifelong mission to help two former S-Rank criminals live a life following the path of goodness. As their plans succeed, little did Tsukiko know she would fall in love with one of them.**

Chapter 1; November 14

Tsukiko Inoue is a regular kunoichi who is just a year older than all her peers and friends and has graduated from the academy with Team Gai. Her difficult past and experiences has gained her wisdom, which helped her develop her advanced leadership skills at such a young age. Her similarities with ITachi Uchiha has led them to become chosen as mentors for the Akatsuki members in order to lead a life of goodness.

On the cold fall morning of November 14, Lady Tsunade summoned Tsukiko and Itachi to her office. "I've assigned you two on a life long mission." She addresses to them. "Itachi, you've been a part of the ANBU since you were eleven and returned after the world war. I've decided to take you out of the ANBU and make you a special Jonin." Itachi looked at her in awe. "Really?!" He exclaimed. "I'd be honored."

Ever since peace has come upon the world, Itachi has finally been able to show his true personality. No one would have even guessed that he'd be the type to have a great sense of humor.

"I'm glad you are." Lady Tsunade replied, and gave him a smile. She looked towards Tsukiko. "This young lady will be a part of your three man squad. However, I must admit that it's unlikely for a group of jonins to be in a three-man squad. Itachi, as you might have guessed already, you're the leader." "I understand, milady." Itachi said. "But is there a reason why you decided to make me a special jonin?"

"Not to brag, but I make pretty good decisions with every right reason." She smirked. "The reason I assign you as a special Jonin is because of your leadership abilities and father-like figure." "Oh, I never even would have noticed that about myself." Itachi said, laughing and blushing. "Well believe me when I say that you deserve even more." Tsunade said with appreciation. "You've done a whole lot for the village. Getting back to the subject and as I've mentioned earlier, Tsukiko will be a part of the team. Just like every three-man squad, there will be one girl and two boys in your team. Are you familiar with Tsukiko?" "Hm, I'm afraid not." Itachi replied.

"I'm quite familiar with you, Itachi-sensei." Said Tsukiko. "My old friend's grandmother owns the dango shop. I used to help them out and you'd come almost everyday and I always served you. I'm also one of your brother's good friends." "Ah! I remember you." Itachi laughed. "You were the little girl who immediately knew what I was going to order everyday! You literally had my order ready just a second before I got there. Thank you for that!"

Tsunade giggled at their conversation. "I wish I was as young as you two again." She sighed. "But anyways, I'm happy you two have at least a little bit of familiarity with each other. Tsukiko will be in your team because I believe her God given wisdom and unconditional care for others will be useful in the team. She's the academy counselor, and if you haven't known by now, her family is building a new college. So she's quite experience for an eighteen year old. I've put you two together because the other two members of your team will be boys who've… had it tough in their past lives." "Are they one of the people who was brought back to life to have a second chance at living?" Tsukiko asked. "Yes." Tsunade replied. "However I haven't decided who you two should be teamed up with so I will decide by tomorrow. I believe you two will be perfect leaders and great examples for the other two or to anyone in the community pretty much. Will you accept this mission?"

"Yes milady." The duo replied. "Good, I'm happy to hear that." Said Tsunade. "Please be back here tomorrow morning a little before 10 a.m. At that time, I will let you know whom I've decided to be a part of the team and I'll set up a meeting place for you all. In the meantime, I do recommend you two to have a chat with each other and get to know each other's morals, leadership abilities and at least a little bit of background information. I think it's really important for the team. Are there any questions?" "No milady." The duo responded. "I thank you for your service." Tsunade said. She stood up and they exchanged bows and with that, Itachi and Tsukiko were excused.

The duo walked out of the office together and headed for the exit. "Would right now be a good time to get to know each other?" Itachi asked, smiling at Tsukiko's small figure. "I mean, I already know you through my brother and the dango shop but since we're in a team now, Lady Hokage did mention it's essential for us to know each other more. We could grab a bite to eat if you'd like." "Of course." Tsukiko replied. "I assume you'd be in the mood for some dango?" "It'll be my treat if you could remember which type of dango I always order. Oh, along with how much of it I order and the type of tea I always get." Tsukiko laughed. "You're on."

The duo made their way inside the dango shop and walked towards the cash register. Masami, the elderly lady who owns the shop, greeted them. "Itachi-kun, is that you?" She asked, walking towards him and holding onto his shoulders. "It's nice to see you again, Masami baa-sama." Itachi said. They embraced each other with careful hugs, as Itachi towered over the elder's short height. "You're so big now! I still remember you because you always came here before. Tsukiko-chan still helps me out sometimes with the shop. I'm so glad you're back. Tsukiko-chan, thank you for bringing him and bring back the nostalgic memories." She held Tsukiko's hand. "Don't bother paying, okay? Order what you want." "Oh, Masami baa-sama. Is that okay with you?" Itachi asked, a little worried. The elder walked back behind the cash register. "It'll make me happy." Masami replied.

The duo ordered their food and rested on a table. "I was planning to come here a few days ago, but I needed some rest." Itachi replied. "Who knew I'd even be alive again? I took a few days to get used to living here again." Itachi and Tsukiko spent a couple hours at the shop talking about their lives and background story. Itachi was informed that Tsukiko moved to Konoha along with her mother and sister to avoid a life of poverty and to escape from their other family member's greed and hatred. Her father abandoned the three and left with another woman and never came back. However, after all the adversity they faced, Tsukiko's mom now owns an architecture firm and is now upgrading the village and building a university for those who plan on having different careers apart from becoming a shinobi. Their morals and life values were greatly similar and their belief that the ultimate form of love was sacrifice turned into one of the longest subjects they talked about.


	2. Chapter 2 - Team Itachi

**Everyone, the romance part will come in a couple of chapters. Please review this story and feel free to leave some suggestions. I'd love to do requested stories and such. Thank you very much.**

Chapter 2

Tsukiko made her way to the Hokage's office in one of her best attires. She believed a good first impression significantly mattered during a first meeting. She wore her long black hair down as usual. It complimented her outfit in which she wore her black jeans and khaki coat with a black scarf. Under, she wore a black turtleneck. To combat the growing cold weather, she wore boots and black gloves.

As she entered the office the lassies kindly greeted her fellow masters. "Great timing. You're always so pretty." Tsunade commented. "Thank you." The kunoichi said as she blushed.

"Thank you two for being on time." Tsunade said. "It took a while for me to decide who was going to join you two. Hopefully my decision turns out okay and I'm hoping you two can agree on this. Please take the time to read these." Tsunade handed out two papers each to Itachi and Tsukiko. The documents showed some information about two shinobis. Itachi smiled at the fact that the two members were his fellow peers from Akatsuki. However, he was nervous at the fact that Deidara was one of them, and he knew Deidara wasn't fond of him at all. Meanwhile, Tsukiko took a good look at their background information, especially Sasori's. "This one's cute." Tsukiko laughed and commented. "But isn't he about 36 years old?" "Well technically 16." Itachi replied. "The sage of six paths resurrected him in his old body. I wonder how he feels about that." The duo continued reading the rest of their background information. It wasn't enough for Tsukiko to fully understand them in order to begin helping the two live a life of goodness. Tsukiko turned to look at Itachi. "Sensei, did you know them well?" Tsukiko asked. "Yes." He replied. "I knew both of them pretty well, and what their like. I got along with Sasori. Not Deidara, though…" He laughed nervously.

"Will that be a problem for you?" Tsunade asked. "No, milady." Itachi replied. "I'm sure I will find ways to work things out with him." The duo handed back the papers. "Our ages don't quite fit the usual three-mad squad." Itachi commented. "We got a 16 year old who literally should be 36, an 18 year old, a 19 year old, and a 21 year old." The group laughed.

"Please help these two." Tsunade said. "They're ashamed to show their faces in their home village, so I've allowed them to stay in Konoha each in their own apartments. If you both used your talents to help these two, who knows how much their lives can actually impact the community? Please help them find their real selves." "We promise to do our best." The duo said. Tsunade sighed in relief. "Is there any questions you have for me before I send you off to your meeting place?" Tsunade asked.

"What about the other Akatsuki members?" Itachi asked. "Who else from that group was resurrected?" "Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato." Tsunade replied. "They went back to watching over Amegakure. Obito wanted to stay in the afterlife with Rin. Kisame and Madara weren't granted a second chance to live but I'm sure they are also at peace." "I understand." Itachi said, saddened that his former partner was not alive. "I believe we are ready." "I've assigned Deidara and Sasori to meet up with you two near the bookstore. From then on, please get to know each other well." Tsunade said, standing up. "I appreciate the two of you for agreeing on this mission." They exchanged bows and left the office. Itachi and Tsukiko made their way towards the bookstore, a popular meeting place. "Are you nervous, hun?" Itachi asked. "A little." Tsukiko replied. "Only because I feel like they're straight up people. You know what I mean? I feel like they're always serious, since they are former Akatsuki members." "Don't worry." Itachi replied. "I think you should focus the most on Sasori."

"Heh? Sasori? Why?"

"You said he was cute, no?"

"Yes sensei, but it was just a compliment."

"I know, but I feel, for some reason, that you two would get along the most."

"I hope so."

"Also, he's not as freaky as he used to be now, I'm assuming, since he doesn't have a puppet body anymore. He's nicer than Deidara."

Meanwhile, Deidara and Sasori were having a talk in front of the bookstore. "Master Sasori, how do you feel about everything now?" Deidara asked. "I mean, you're a human again and we have no point in committing any more crimes since everything is pretty much peaceful now. I mean, didn't you visit the weaponry shop? Tenten-san hasn't even sold anything yet." "I think it's a good and a bad thing." Sasori replied. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I'm ashamed to say I'm not quite fond of feeling emotions again." Sasori said, looking down at his shoes. "Remember when we were brought back to life the first time but we were being used for war? And then Kankuro opened my eyes to what true eternal beauty really is? I completely surrendered because I was so touched by what he said. Sasori cringed. "It's almost weird. In the afterlife, I met my family again. I wanted to live again to atone for my sins and to bring out their wishes. Now I at least know that my parents and even Grandma Chiyo are watching over me. Now I know I'm not alone. Ugh, see what I mean? I'm such a wuss."

Deidara laughed. "That's definitely not something I would expect to hear you say." Said Deidara. "But I can tell you're a whole new person. Someone I'd like to know, master Sasori." "Don't call me that anymore." Sasori said. "You're older than me." "Not necessarily." Deidara said. "You just have the mind and heart of a sixteen year old."

When Tsukiko and Itachi reached the meeting place, Deidara and Sasori were having a conversation. Tsukiko sighed and walked towards Deidara and Sasori as Itachi tried to straighten his posture. The two stopped in their tracks and were noticed by the two former Akatsuki members. Sasori was wearing black shoes, blue jeans, a striped shirt and a blue sweater with red lining on the inside. Deidara also wore black shoes and blue jeans but with a white top and a black sweater. Average.

Tsukiko and Itachi bowed to the duo. "Good morning." Itachi greeted. "It's nice to see you two again." "Well, would you take a look at this." Deidara said, smirking at Itachi. "It definitely is nice to see you again. Who would've thought you'd be our team leader. But then again you are highly praised for your abilities." Deidara bowed. "It is nice to see you again, though." He said. "I hope all our problems are just a part of the past, and I hope you can forgive me for continuously trying to harm you even though I'm not match against you." "It's not a big deal, really." Itachi said. "Like you said, it is all in the past."

Itachi turned towards Tsukiko. "This is Lady Tsukiko." Itachi said, putting his arm around her. "She's the academy counselor. Very pretty to look at, isn't she? But she's actually stronger than she looks. Her family owns the new architecture firms. As you can tell, she's quite the smart business woman for her young age." Tsukiko blushed and bowed to Deidara and Sasori. "It's nice to meet you two, Big Brother Deidara and Master Sasori." She said. The duo shook her hands. "It's nice to meet you too." Sasori said. He couldn't help but glance at Tsukiko a lot. Itachi was right; she is very pretty to look at.

Itachi cleared his throat. "Usually, the first thing three man squads do with their sensei is get to know each other." He said. "Since it's early in the morning still, how about we go get something to eat and we talk there?"

The group agreed to do so.


	3. Chapter 3 - Soba

Chapter 3

Team Itachi made their way towards the soba shop, just across the street from the bookstore. The group sat on a table next to the window. Itachi and Tsukiko sat next to each other while Sasori and Deidara sat across from them. They ordered their meals and were given their chance to talk while their food was being made. "So what brings you two here in the village?" Itachi asked. "I heard great things about this place." Deidara said. "I love it here. It's not as depressing as the atmosphere in my home village. Besides, I don't even think my village can still trust me, so I haven't even returned. I don't even think Onoki knows I was brought back to life. But I'm happy to be here. It might be a great opportunity to make some friends." "What about you, Sasori?" Itachi asked.

Sasori straightened is posture but looked down shyly. "He's not fond of his new body." Deidara laughed, jokingly hitting his friend. "He's really sensitive now. Something he doesn't like." Sasori glared at Deidara. "It's a good thing to be sensitive." Tsukiko said. This made Sasori embarrassed. A girl was finally talking to him. "Nagato-sama said so." She continued. "When you're sensitive, it helps you become kinder to people. You feel more empathy because you don't want anyone else to be hurt like you can be. I think you should use it as a way to help others who might need it." "Thank you." The boy smiled in return. Itachi looked at Tsukiko in awe.

"While our food is getting ready, I'd really like to get to know each and every one of you." Itachi said. "You should start first, sensei." Tsukiko requested. Itachi scratched his head. "Hm, okay." He said. "For some reason, when someone asks me to speak about myself, I suddenly forget who I am. We'll tell each other the basics and we'll ask questions if we have any or start any conversation. But anyways, hm… I'm Itachi Uchiha. I'm 21, but I don't drink as what people would think I'd do. My hobbies are cooking, spending time visiting cafes and restaurants, studying, and hanging out with my fellow jonin friends. I love my village, my brother Sasuke, and sweets. My plan for the future is to rebuild a police force in which any shinobi from any clan can join as long as they meet the requirements. That's if we will even need a police force considering how peaceful it is now. Oh, and someday I plan on getting married, hopefully, and rebuild my clan."

Deidara looked to his left and saw a group of girls giggling aand looking towards Itachi. "Yeah, rebuilding your clan won't be a tough thing to do." Deidara said, weirded out by the giggling girls. Itachi looked to his right and saw the girls. He looked away slowly.

"Oh, ahem." Deidara cleared his throat. "I'm Deidara. I'm 19 years old. I still believe art is something that lasts in just mere seconds." Sasori scoffed at his partner's words about art. "My talent relies mainly on visual art." Deidara continued. "I enjoy sculpting clay and making glorious statues. But I would like to start discovering new ways to use my talent instead of using them to blow up things. So for my future, maybe I could be an art teacher or a sculptor who sells art. Gotta put my talents to use, you know? And as for who I love? I guess I love art but I ran away from my family years ago, so I have yet to learn anything about this love thing." Deidara giggled and looked down. "Okay, someone else go." He said, embarrassed. "That was the first time I've ever spoken about myself."

Sasori leaned towards the table and put his hands under the table. "I'm Sasori. I'm… 16." He began. "Unlike Deidara, I believe art is something that endures with beauty forever. I love my parents, and my grandma." He smiled at the thought of his family. He looked down and to his side. "I'm not sure what I want to do in the future." That comment caught Tsukiko's full attention. She rested her chin on her palm on the table. "This is the one I need to help the most." She said in her mind. "What are your talents?" She asked, smiling at the lad. Sasori played with his fingers under the table and shyly looked down. "Um, I do enjoy making puppets." He said. "But I do enjoy doing other things as well. Like wood carving, and at times painting or even writing stories." "Sounds so enjoyable, hun." Tsukiko said.

"Anyways, I'm Tsukiko." She continued. "I'm 18 years old. I'm an academy counselor and I work as an interior designer for my mother's company. MY hobbies consist of making instruments, playing music, well, basically anything that has to do with music. I enjoy helping people so I'm never easily annoyed or bothered. So if anything is troubling any of you, please feel free to talk to me."

"Do you sing?" Sasori asked. "I do." Tsukiko replied. Sasori smiled and blushed. " _I'd like to hear her sometime_." He said in his head.

"Your orders are ready." The waitress said, giving us our food. "So, where are you guys staying?" Itachi asked. "We're staying in hotel rooms at the moment." Sasori replied. "Hokage-sama was nice enough to let us do so. Especially for free." "That won't be necessary anymore." Said Itachi. "I have two more rooms available in my apartment. You guys can use it. You won't have to worry about being stuck in one tiny room and having to buy food outside anymore. I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind."

"I have to deal with Sasori everyday?" Deidara asked. "He may seem quiet and sweet now but him and I are still on bad terms." Sasori stepped on Deidara's foot under the table. Itachi giggled.

"You think you're easy to deal with?" Sasori asked. "I dealt with your stupid tactics ever since you joined Akatsuki, you brat." "Because your ideals are stupid." Deidara responded. The two former partners began a loud argument.

"Are you sure you want to deal with them two arguing?" Tsukiko whispered to Itachi. "I'll find some way to break them up." Itachi responded. "If not, I'll call you to break them up."

Tsukiko agreed. She took a kunai out, stood up and stabbed the table loudly, frightening Deidara and Sasori. Customers began looking towards their table. She slowly sat back down and kept her cool. "I do hope you don't have to put Itachi-sensei through that everyday." She calmly said. "…Or I might have to get involved." Deidara and Sasori calmed themselves. "I'm sorry, Lady Tsukiko." Deidara and Sasori said. " _That attitude is kinda creepy_." Deidara said in his mind. " _Openly showing anger while being calm… That's it, she must be single…_ "

Just when he said that, a boy walked in the shop, glaring at Tsukiko. Tsukiko made eye contact with the boy, and stood up. "Excuse me for a moment." Tsukiko said. "I'm going to have a short talk real quick. I'll be right back." She walked towards the boy and exited the shop. They stood a few feet in front of the entrance. "Good morning Jurou." Tsukiko greeted. "Who are they?" Jurou asked, completely ignoring Tsukiko's greeting. "My new team." Tsukiko replied, looking back at them through the window. "Uchiha Itachi is my new sensei. Along with Sasori and Deid-" "Are you flirting with them?" Jurou interrupted.

"No." Tsukiko replied. "They're just teammates."

"Why are you alone with them?"

"Hokage-sama ordered us to get to know each other."

"Don't whore around. You're ruining your own reputation by surrounding yourself with these men."

"But I'm not! They're just my teammates."

"Just in case, I'm letting my friends know about this. Don't try anything funny."

The couple continued arguing outside. Meanwhile, Itachi glanced at them, knowing that Tsukiko was troubled. "Please don't hold anything against Lady Tsukiko." Itachi said. "She was just trying to calm you two down. She's troubled right now." Deidara and Sasori looked back and saw Tsukiko close to crying as she argues with her boyfriend. "We figured." Sasori said. "She's like all of us." Itachi said. "The reason she was put in this team was because I specifically requested Lady Tsunade to put her in my team. I didn't know her well but I know she's had a troubled life just like all of us. And that man she's talking to, is her boyfriend."

"I get the feeling I shouldn't trust someone like him." Deidara said. "Don't." Itachi replied. "He came from another village. Tsukiko met him there when she was away doing service for his village as a long-term mission. He was in the ANBU. He gets missions done, fights accurately, and does what a ninja is supposed to do. But when it comes to relationships, I would say he's not much of a nice guy. I'm not sure what happened during Tsukiko's time away, but I'm sure he's up to no good. But for now, try to stay away from her problems. She's tough."

The couple stopped arguing and Jurou walked away. Tsukiko walked back inside and sat down. She put a fake smile on. "Sorry about that." Tsukiko said. "Anyways, what were we talking about?"

Team Itachi continued having their conversations and saw through Tsukiko's fake smile. Therefore, they tried their best to help her cheer up. As the morning grew older, they decided it was time to head out. "Lady Tsukiko, where will you be headed?" Sasori asked. "Oh, I have to meet up with my boyfriend." Tsukiko replied, giving a fake smile again. "I'll come over to meet you guys later to help you move in some things in your new home." Sasori smiled, happy that he'll be seeing Tsukiko again. "Stay safe, milady." Sasori said. The two parted. " _Her smile is fake_." Sasori said to himself. " _She's hiding something. I know it because I've done it before. But how do I react in situations like these? Am I caring for my teammates too soon? I've just met her. I don't know. I've never been in a team._ " Sasori rubbed off his thoughts and caught up with his other two teammates as they made their way to Itachi's complex.


	4. Chapter 4 - Jurou

Chapter 4

Tsukiko rang Jurou's doorbell and waited for him to answer. After a minute, he opened the door. Tsukiko smiled. "I'm here, like you asked." She said, giving him a hug. He didn't give one back, and closed the door behind her and he pulled her inside. "Who're your teammates again?" Jurou asked. "Deidara and Sasori." Tsukiko replied. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel safe with you being around them."

"Like I said, they're just friends and they're my teammates."

"Tell Tsunade to take you out of their team."

"Just being in the team is my mission! What's wrong with you?!"

"Shut up!"

"It's not like you treat me any better!"

"Shut up! You're annoying!"

Tsukiko broke down. She loved this boy, because he keeps her company throughout her busy job and rarely has time to see her friends and sometimes family anymore. Ever since then, Jurou has been acting suspicious, giving clues that he hasn't been faithful to her. However, no matter how much Tsukiko wanted to leave, she was afraid of being alone and therefore refused to let go of him regardless of his constant emotional and verbal abuse. She lost all of her friends in the other village because of the rumors Jurou would spread about her. She was afraid of what he would do to her, so she kept things to herself even though her friends were aware of her hurt feelings but every time they asked her if something was wrong, she would refuse to speak about it.

"Why do you do this to me?" Tsukiko asked. "I haven't done anything wrong to you, ever." "You're a flirt." Jurou responded. "You're lucky I'm here for you still. Don't you realize no one wants to be around you? You only have me. You act as if everyone actually likes you but you're just being used."

Tsukiko heard enough. She wiped her tears away and walked towards the door. "I have to get going now." She said. "I'm busy. I have to continue finishing my mission." "See? This is why no one wants to talk to you." Jurou said. "You never have time for anybody. That was untrue. Tsukiko made sure she had time for everybody. As Tsukiko opened the door, Jurou quickly grabbed her and hugged her.

"Wait, don't go yet." He said, kissing her. This is one of the reasons why she couldn't leave him. His mind tricks were insane. She thinks he loves her. Jurou gently grabbed her chin and kissed her. "Regardless of how lonely you are, I'm always going to be here for you." He smirked. Tsukiko gave him a fake smile and turned to leave. She closed the door behind her and saw Itachi waiting outside for her.

"Sensei?" Tsukiko said. "What are you doing here?" "You were taking a little too long." Itachi said. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Deidara and Sasori are already at my house looking around with Sasuke. I was thinking you can take one of them to go shopping for materials."

Itachi carefully looked at her. "Why are your eyes sore?" he asked. "Have you been crying?"

The door opened and Jurou walked out and stood next to Tsukiko. She was afraid to say anything. "I'm just sleepy, that's all." She said smiling, making her eyes look puffier. Itachi looked at her in disbelief. "Well, let's get going then." Itachi said. Jurou glared at Itachi and put his hands in his pocket. "I'll be sure to keep her safe for you, Jurou." Itachi said. Jurou didn't reply as he walked back inside his complex.

Itachi and Tsukiko made their way to his home. "What happened back there?" Itachi said. "Your eyes weren't like that this morning. To be quite honest with you, everyone doesn't seem to be fond of your relationship with Jurou."

"It really is nothing." Tsukiko replied. "I'm just sleepy."

"It's not fair that you lie to others yet you stay faithful to Jurou who is possibly hurting you inside." Itachi replied.

"I'm not concerned about myself. Only for others."

They continued walking and reached their destination. Deidara and Sasori were sitting outside the entrance. "It's a nice place, sensei." Deidara said. "Thanks" Itachi replied. "We were thinking of taking you two to go shopping for materials. You know, new clothes and such. Deidara you can come with me. Sasori, you'll go with Tsukiko." Sasori's eyes gleamed.

Itachi opened the front door and poked his head inside (LOLOLOL SO WRONG LMFAAOOO…. Excuse me….) "Sasuke!" He said. "We're leaving for a bit! What will you be doing?" "I'm inviting Sakura over." Sasuke replied.

"Don't stay in one room together!... Okay, let's head out." Itachi closed the door. "I'll see you guys later."

Deidara and Itachi walked away as Tsukiko and Sasori walked the other direction. Tsukiko wasn't happy with the idea that she was alone with another guy, and was afraid that Jurou would catch her. "Okay, I know a good place to find clothes." Tsukiko said. They made their way towards the store.


	5. Chapter 5 - Shop

**If any of you are wondering why the romantic parts are coming up so slow, it's because I want to slowly build up Tsukiko and Sasori's friendship first. This isn't just a short story, but more of a novel-like story that builds up events and such. I'm not a fan of stories that jump straight into the climax or the expected parts because that just ruins the fun. If any of you want a quicker pace story, let me know in the comments. Oh, and I also take request for stories so if you have any couples from Naruto that you ship, let me know and I'll be more than happy to create it. Thank you for reading. Please continue to support my story. Have a blessed day.**

Chapter 5 – Shop

Tsukiko and Sasori made their way to the village's new clothing outlet. "Lady Tsukiko, how long have you been in Konoha?" Sasori asked. "I travel back and forth from one village to another." Tsukiko replied. "I first came here when I was 5 so I attended the academy here. Therefore, I'm a ninja for this village only. I left to go back to my home village when I was 12, just after I was supposed to be assigned into a three-man squad. I lived there for about 5 years. Now I'm here again."

"How did you become an academy counselor, milady?"

"We don't have ninjas in my home village. Instead, we had a university, meaning we get to be educated for a whole bunch of other things instead of just becoming ninjas. We were the only village that had it. Since the world was becoming peaceful, my mom decided to build one here in Konoha, but just a couple miles away since it will be a large campus."

"That seems interesting."

"I hope it does. I became an academy counselor by taking classes for it. It was my major, meaning it was my first choice of studying it and now I have a degree and a license to counsel and help people."

"I wish I could do that."

"It can be quite a busy job but I think I might have to quit since I also work at the hospital. Now I'm a team. So many duties."

"I'm sorry milady."

"Hm? For what?"

"For taking up too much of your time."

"No, don't be. I'm always happy to spend time around people."

Tsukiko gave Sasori a sincere smile. They reached the outlets and started shopping for clothing. "I'll follow you." Tsukiko said. "If you need extra money, I have more than enough." "Eh? How so?" Sasori asked. "Remember my mom owns a company here." Tsukiko replied. "But we rarely spend it on materials. We're busy helping the community."

"That's lovely. But I still wouldn't feel right taking your money."

"Don't worry about it."

Sasori began walking around to shop as Tsukiko followed. " _He's so quiet_." Tsukiko thought. " _Not what I expected from an ex-criminal_."

"Did Lady Tsunade mention anything about Itachi and I when she talked to you and Deidara about being in your team?" Tsukiko asked. "She mentioned you two were highly praised people in the villages." Sasori replied. "And she mentioned you were a little mean. So to be quite honest, I was a little scared to meet you."

"Do you think I'm mean?"

"No. You're just stern. You follow the rules. What about you? What did you expect from me?"

"I found out a lot about you when Sakura told me about what you. I was nervous to meet you, only because you were a former criminal. But at the same time I was excited to meet you. I thought you would be stern and serious, and a little scary regardless of how good looking you are. I didn't expect you to be so soft and quiet."

"Good looking? Quiet? Is that bad?"

"No, I think it's a good thing. But I'll still watch my back, only because I know how strong you are."

"Back at you."

They continued shopping. As Sasori was walking, Tsukiko tripped on a clothing organizer but was caught by Sasori. "Watch your step." He said, as he laughed. Tsukiko became embarrassed as she felt his warm hands straighten her posture. "Thank you." She kindly said. For the rest of the day, Tsukiko and Sasori shopped for his materials and she was even kind enough to buy groceries for the small family and cooked for them.


	6. Chapter 6 - Tsukiko No Komoriuta

**Here is the beginning of Sasori showing some of his feelings.**

Chapter 6 – Tsukiko no Komoriuta

A couple of months have passed ever since the formation of Team Itachi. So far, their missions have only consisted of sending packages and messages to other countries or villages, and escorting people from one place to another. The teams friendship has continued to grown, and Sasori has become more attached to Tsukiko due to her opening his eyes to what true friendship is. Through Tsukiko, he was able to feel love but was confused on what the feeling was. He felt nervous every time her was near her yet he couldn't keep himself away. They were finally comfortable enough to consider each other as best friends to the point where honourifics were dismissed.

It is the night January 17, and the team has been on another mission for a day so far, to escort a highly valuable package to the Land of Birds, which is a long way from Konoha. The group decided to camp out in cold woods next to a nearly frozen lake.

As Deidara, Itachi, and Sasori slept with the campfire still lit, Tsukiko took her Shamisen that she always traveled with and distanced herself from the group in order to play without waking them up. She found her perfect spot and looked back to make sure she knew where to walk back. She sat down under a tree and faced the frozen lake and began playing the tune of "Takeda No Komoriuta" ( _Lullaby of Takeda – a Japanese folk song about a poor girl sent to babysit a landlord's child in order to fend for her poor family; but was punished every time she failed to stop the child form crying, which resulted in her singing a song consisting of her plea_ ). She sang along with the Shamisen and remembered her difficult past with her family, a past she always kept to herself.

Meanwhile, as Tsukiko sang, Sasori woke up to the sound of a gorgeous voice. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and noticed that Tsukiko was not in her sleeping bag. He stood up, wrapped his blanket around him, and walked towards the voice. "This better not be a ghost." He said to himself. He continued to follow and walk towards the voice and sees Tsukiko sitting under a tree singing a tune and facing the moon. He hid behind a tree and watched her as he realized how beautiful she looked. " _This is art_." He thought to himself. As Tsukiko finished her tune, he walked towards her and made sure his presence was known in order to avoid scaring her. He stood behind her and wrapped his blanket around her.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, as he sat down next to her. "You have a beautiful voice." "Thank you." Tsukiko replied, blushing and wrapping the blanket around her. "Aren't you cold too?"

"Not really." Sasori replied. "I woke up and noticed you were gone. I followed your voice hoping it wasn't a ghost luring me to take my soul. But I realized you left your blanket. So I took mine to warm you up. Your nose is red."

Tsukiko covered her nose out of embarrassment. "Thank you." She said. "Aren't you sleepy?"

"Not anymore."

"I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Don't be. I could have continued sleeping, but I enjoyed hearing you sing."

"I understand."

"So that song you were singing. Lullaby of Takeda?"

"How'd you know?"

"It's an old folksong I used to hear orphans sing back in Suna during the third shinobi world war. How do you know it?"

"I learned it when I lived in my old village."

"… Tsukiko."

"Yes?"

"Are you my friend?"

"Of course I am. Why do you ask that?"

"I just wanted to make sure. Mainly because for some reason I always feel comfortable talking to you about anything."

"Maybe it's because I speak so quietly?"

"No. It's just that you seem to understand everybody quite well."

"I try to."

Tsukiko scooted closer to Sasori and put her Shamisen on her side. "I rarely get moments like these." Tsukiko said. "Moments like what?" Sasori asked. "Like having someone to talk to." Tsukiko replied. "But you have your boyfriend to talk to." Sasori said, with a little distress in his voice. Tsukiko looked up and Sasori looked at her eyes. All he saw was sadness and hurt. He knew, because he would fake his happiness sometimes and do his best to hide his emotions when he was younger.

"Talk to me." Sasori said. Tsukiko looked him in the eyes. "About what?" She asked. Sasori leaned back against the tree. "About what's wrong." Sasori replied. "I know something's troubling you."

"Nothing's bothering me."

"There is something bothering you. I've known it since I met you. I can tell because every time I look at you, I see myself. I see how I used to fake my smiles and hide my emotions because I was afraid of bothering people and because I didn't want anyone to worry about me ever since I lost my parents. Tsukiko, I think we've known each other long enough. We hang out everyday to the point where I think it's safe to say we can personally open up to each other now. I see you help everyone everyday but you seem to avoid helping yourself."

"Why do you care?"

"Is it safe to say that you inspire me, Tsukiko?"

"How?"

"You put others before you put yourself, like Naruto. I guess you can say I admire you."

Tsukiko looked down then looked at Sasori. She sighed and gave up on holding in everything. "Can you keep secrets?" Tsukiko asked. "Yes." Sasori said. "So what's wrong? I'll listen to everything, I promise." Tsukiko got comfortable and looked at the moon.

"I'm afraid of being alone." Tsukiko began. "I don't usually talk about my past, but I feel you would understand everything. My home village that I keep talking about is called Takeda." "Takeda?!" Sasori exclaimed. "The village known for greed and judgment?"

"Yes." Tsukiko replied. "That's where I learned the lullaby. I was born there. My father was rich while my mother was poor. My mom gave me up to my dad in hopes that I would be properly taken care of. My dad and mom loved each other so much, but my dad's family didn't approve of my mom. I was treated like a slave because my dad was too busy to take care of me. He married a new woman and brought up a new family but eventually, he left and never came back regardless of how long I waited. I was left to take care of my baby stepbrother and I would be punished if I failed to stop his crying. That's when I was taught the lullaby. One day, I found out my dad's side of my family was murdered and my stepmother took control of the village, and heavily taxed people. When my mom found out about my dad's death, she gave up on giving up and took us to Konoha along with my newborn sister. I would go back and forth from Takeda to Konoha to attend Takeda's university and that's where I met my current boyfriend and my former friends. He made me happy at first but while I was attending the university, everything was going downhill and every time something went wrong, he would attack me by verbally and emotionally abusing me. He would get everyone against me and I lost all of my friends. The reason why I'm still distressed is because he followed me to Konoha and reminds me that I'm still alone because I have no time to talk to anybody in Konoha."

"Why are you still with him if he hurts you?" Sasori asked. "Because I know he's truly good on the inside." Tsukiko replied. "He can be nice sometimes." "Sometimes?" Sasori asked suspiciously.

He continued looking at Tsukiko. "You're lying." Sasori said. He leaned forward and put his arm around Tsukiko. "Tsukiko. I don't like waiting for answers. Please tell me the truth." "I'm not allowed to say." Tsukiko said. Sasori had enough and sighed. "If that's how you want to be." He said.

"Can you understand that I don't want to talk about it?"

"Hey I'm trying to show that I'm concerned about you. Do you even know what Jurou has been doing to our team? He went to our house to tell us off because he thinks we're flirting with you. Your silence and lack of courage is breaking the team's bond." Tsukiko didn't respond to Sasori's rant and stood up. This angered him. He stood up after her and grabbed her shoulder to turn her around. Tsukiko couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Why does is concern you so much?!" Tsukiko exclaimed. "It's for the team!" Sasori said, walking towards Tsukiko, which was making her slowly back up and was soon stepping on the frozen lake. "Since when did you even care about other people?" Tsukiko responded. "A former delinquent like you has no right to try and correct people's lives."

"I've changed!"

"Men don't change! Once you act a certain way, you will always be that way!"

The two didn't notice that the ice was cracking. "Hey!" Itachi said, in the distance with Deidara following him behind. "There you guys are! What are you doing awake? You two should be-" Before he can finish, the thin ice broke and Tsukiko fell in. "Tsukiko!" Sasori yelled, kneeling down and grabbing Tsukiko's hand. Her hand was unbearably cold. Itachi and Deidara ran to help him get her. Itachi quickly carried her back to the campfire while Deidara and Sasori slowly followed behind. "What the hell happened?" Deidara asked. "We woke up because we heard arguing. What's going on?" "…. She still sees me as a delinquent." Sasori replied.

"Does this have something to do with Jurou?"

"She doesn't want to be honest with us. She won't let us help her and it's ruining our bond since Jurou keeps interfering with us."

"He's not bothering Itachi and I, trust us. We can easily brush him off, so I suggest you do the same…. Unless you're jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Itachi and I forgot about the time Jurou came to bother us. That was a month ago and you're still on it….. Do you like her?"

"I'm mad at her, are you kidding me?" Sasori began blushing. "She said I was still a delinquent and that I'll never change!"

"Oh? Really?" Deidara put his hands on his hips and smirked. "I think you're just jealous that she's still with him."

"It's not just that… it just makes me concerned about her."

"You like her."

"Eh?"

"Awwww, danna has a crush."

Sasori wasn't a liar. He couldn't deny it. He began blushing. "Stop, okay?" He said. "We just got through an argument just because I was concerned about the team."

"Don't be" Deidara said. "It's only you who'd concerned. Trust me, the past couple of months has been great. Don't let her relationship with a dumbass change that. In fact, you should be more worried about what Jurou might be doing to Tsukiko. You said she didn't want to tell you what her problem is, with Jurou, right? He might be threatening her. I know you two aren't gonna be talking for a little bit, but just try to watch her back."

The two walked back to the campfire to see Itachi taking Tsukiko's extra clothes out of her back-pack and Tsukiko drying her hair with a towel. She began undressing. Sasori and Deidara blushed as they tried their best to look away but their eyes was fixed to her body. She was only in her pants and sports bra now. "Sensei, can you throw me my clothes?" Tsukiko asked. Itachi passed her clothes and saw the other two staring. Tsukiko angrily looked at them. "Turn around or close your eyes." Tsukiko said. The three boys turned their eyes, each of them turning their heads to look at each other as Tsukiko changed. Deidara looked at Sasori and saw that his whole face was red and sweaty. " _He's in love_." Deidara said in his mind.


	7. Chapter 7 - First Lesson

**This one is slightly shorter than the rest. I hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 7 – First lesson

Team Itachi continued their mission. Sasori walked swiftly, in front of the rest of the team trying to avoid any confrontation with Tsukiko after their short argument the night before, and he's been ignoring her all morning and afternoon. Deidara followed a few steps behind Sasori while Itachi and Tsukiko walked together in the back.

"How many more days until we get to the Land of Birds?" Deidara asked. "It's been a five days already." "It takes five day to get there, but without any breaks." Itachi said. "We'll get there in a couple of more days. There's a bathhouse up towards the trail to the next village. We can rest there tonight." "Hell yeah. That's a relief." Deidara said.

Itachi looked down at Tsukiko. "Tsukiko, what happened last night?" Itachi asked. "You know it's not good to keep things to yourself. Isn't that what you teach your academy students who come to you for help in your office?" "Yes, but…" Tsukiko hesitated. "Deidara assumed Jurou doesn't let you talk about it." Itachi said. "I just want you to know that we're always here for you. I promise. If you can't hold in your emotions any longer, you know we're always happy to help just as you're happy to help everyone. Learn to trust your comrade."

Tsukiko looked up at her sensei and smiled. "Thank you sensei." She said. "As for the situation with Sasori, don't be mad at him." Itachi said. "He's a changed man, trust me. Look at Deidara, he's as happy as ever. They're definitely not the people I knew when we were in Akatsuki. I mean c'mon, Deidara tried to kill me, remember? So cheer up, hun." This made Tsukiko feel better.

"Sensei, look! The village!" Deidara yelled, and ran towards the bathhouse. "We'll rest here for tonight." Itachi said. The group followed behind Deidara, who has already finished paying for the rooms. Deidara turned to face the group. "They only had two rooms available with one bed in each one." Deidara said. "So I'm staying with sensei while Sasori and Tsukiko stay in the other one." Sasori and Tsukiko blushed, and then angrily glared at each other. Meanwhile, Deidara gave the key to Tsukiko and ran up to his room. "I'm so tired!" He yelled. Itachi pulled Sasori close to him as Tsukiko walked to find their room. "Use this as an opportunity to get along with her again." Itachi whispered to Sasori. "I'm sorry but I prefer if my students work together instead of ignoring each other." He smiled at Sasori. "She said something that's hard to forgive." Sasori responded.

"She didn't mean it, I promise." Itachi said. "It gives us a clue of how Jurou treats her anyways. She's really sensitive about telling other people her problems and she gets really defensive about it. It's our job as her comrades to find out why. Please find it in your heart to forgive her. Otherwise, you might be showing that her claim was correct. We'll talk more about this in the hot spring, we'll have a man to man talk." Sasori smiled at his sensei's comforting words and was determined to speak to Tsukiko once again.

The two walked to their rooms. Sasori opened the door and saw Tsukiko half naked wearing only underwear, with her back turned facing the closed window. She was preparing to go to the hot springs. Tsukiko turned around and quickly grabbed the towel to cover her upper body. "I thought I locked the door!" She yelled. "I'm so sorry!" Sasori said, sweating tremendously and quickly closing the door, running to towards his sensei's room. Tsukiko felt so embarrassed, unhappy about the events that have lately been happening with Sasori. First, they get in an argument because Sasori felt like he couldn't be trusted, then he accidentally sees her half naked. Tsukiko blushed, and clenched her fist. " _That Sasori_." She thought to herself, angrily shaking her first as steam exited her ears. " _It's so easy to forgive him though._ "

Meanwhile, Sasori barged into Itachi and Deidara's room, and quickly closed the door behind him and panted. "Dude, what the hell?" Deidara said. "What's wrong?" Itachi asked. Sasori wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I accidentally walked in on Tsukiko half naked." Sasori said. Itachi and Deidara laughed out loud. Sasori threw his backpack at Deidara, knocking him on the ground. "Watch it, asshole!" Deidara said. "It's not funny!" Sasori said. "I was so committed to making sure her and I got along again!" Sasori slid down and put his face in his hands. "I'm so embarrassed…" he mumbled. "Didn't she lock the door?" Itachi asked. "She said she thought she did…" Sasori replied. Deidara continued laughing. Itachi laughed with him. "You guys aren't helping!" Sasori yelled.

There was a knock on the door. "Sensei." Tsukiko said, behind the door. "Oh no!" Sasori loudly whispered, and hid behind the drawer just before Tsukiko opened the door. She was wearing a robe carrying a towel. "I'm going to the hot springs." She said. "Oh, and have you seen Sasori? If you do, tell him to knock before barging in doors. It'll really help him in life." Tsukiko walked out and closed the door. "Damn, she looked pissed." Itachi said. Sasori didn't like the sound of that. "You're fucking embarrassing." Deidara said. "I can almost feel bad for you." "Shut your fucking mouth!" Sasori yelled. Itachi didn't appreciate the two of them fighting. "Can you guys quit it already?" Itachi asked. "I think I might prefer when you two would constantly fight about art quietly every single second you two are together. Now that that's past, you guys are loud. Keep quiet."

Deidara and Sasori sighed. Sasori hugged his knees as he sat and buried his face in his kneed. "Senseeeiii….." He mumbled. "What do I do?" Itachi sighed. "Tsukiko doesn't hold grudges." Itachi said. "Try not to feel bad about yourself. I accidentally walked in on her changing last month during a mission." "That's not fair, why don't I get to see?!" Deidara exclaimed. Itachi and Sasori looked at Deidara weirdly. "Sasori, don't worry." Itachi said. "She'll get over it eventually."


	8. Chapter 8 - Sleep

Chapter 8 – Sleep

Sasori, Itachi and Deidara made their way into the hot springs, only to find Tsukiko finishing up, but fully clothed in a silk kimono. "Tsukiko how's the water?" Itachi asked. "Warm and comforting." Tsukiko replied. "I'm going to go buy food at the village. What do you guys want? It'll be take out." "A warm bowl of ramen would be nice." Itachi said. "Especially in the cold weather. Are you going alone?" "Yes." Tsukiko replied. "I'll be back in thirty minutes, so try not to stay in the water too long." Tsukiko exited the hot spring. Sasori couldn't stop looking at her.

"Sasori, do you like girls?" Itachi asked, as they dipped their lean and naked bodies into the water. "I mean have you ever dated?" "Now that I think about it, I've never really had an interest in dating." Sasori replied. "Most likely because I rarely talk to people. To be quite honest, Tsukiko is one of the only girls I've ever spoken to. It's pretty sad, but I probably would have been different if I lived my former life another way."

"Sensei, have you ever had a girlfriend?" Deidara asked. "Yeah, just one." Itachi replied. "She was an Uchiha too, but we weren't related. I was thirteen then. It's nice to fall in love when you're young."

Sasori listened to his two teammates talk about their past love lives. He sat back and relaxed and thought about Tsukiko. He was mad at himself for ruining their friendship, just for small things. He didn't want to blame himself, but he didn't want to blame Tsukiko either, even if she's the one who's being overly sensitive. But then again, he was the one who made her back up into the frozen river the other night and made her fall in and almost freeze to death. On top of that, he forgot to knock on the door before he accidentally walked in on her half naked. He usually didn't care about relationships, mainly because he was afraid to get attached to someone, because he was afraid of losing them just like how he lost his parents at a young age. But that's another thing, because he knew they loved him.

It made him feel uneasy knowing that he wasn't on good terms with Tsukiko. In fact, he wanted to be with her at this very moment. Perhaps it was the way she treated him with graced and always asked if he was hungry. During the past few months team Itachi has been together, Sasori was constantly taken care of by Tsukiko and every time he needed help with something, she always knew what to say, just like the time he asked her what his purpose is in the world. She made him see that doing evil deeds doesn't replace the emptiness in the heart. She believed in made it hollowed. Her wisdom has given Sasori the desire to become a Tokubetsu Jonin and teach art, because he believed it was his purpose to deliver good messages through visual art. Because of her tenderness, Sasori found himself becoming more attached to Tsukiko. He felt nervous yet happy whenever he was near her and he felt his heart beat faster and his cheeks would heat up.

"Sasori, are you okay?" Itachi asked. "Why are you spacing out?" Sasori looked at him clueless for a bit, contemplating on whether he should talk to her about what his feelings mean. Eventually, he just gave up and spilled. He sighed before he spoke up. "Sensei, how do people feel when they're around someone they're in love with?" Sasori asked.

"Well, this is certainly something men don't talk about." Itachi said. "But I understand that it's for your knowledge. Perhaps it's because you've probably never fallen in love, and also because you were a puppet without emotions. Or are you trying to tell me that you might be? Well… See…. When people are around the person they're in love with, it's as if their heart skips a beat. They feel lighter, and their heart beats faster. It's a warm feeling along with pure joy and sometimes serenity." "Why do people fall in love?" Sasori asked.

"People fall in love for multiple reasons." Itachi responded. "One might be because we tend to admire someone's inner and outer beauty. Another is because they make us feel happy and wanted, and loved. We love someone because they make us feel like we have a purpose in the world, and they make us feel better about ourselves."

Sasori listened to every word his sensei said and analyzed his emotions. He knew now that for sure, he was in love with Tsukiko, but she was taken. "Sensei, I think I love Tsukiko." Sasori said. Itachi smiled in awe as Deidara laughed. "That's one of the cutest things I've ever heard!" Deidara said. "I love this." Itachi said. "I love the idea of two of one of my favorite people falling in love with each other, just like Sasuke and Sakura. But why do you look as if you're upset about being in love? It's a beautiful thing."

"Because she's taken." Sasori said, looking down in disappointment. "And I'm not even sure she even likes me now. First I made her fall in ice cold water and I see her half naked. Damn it…" "I don't even like Jurou." Deidara said. "He seems like an ass that's easy to hate. Does anyone in the village even know him?"

"I don't trust him either." Itachi said. "Try to get some information about him out of Tsukiko, Sasori. It's worth a try. Besides, you should let her know that her whole team is worried about her relationship with him. Sasuke told me he saw him slap her one time behind a building while he was walking Sakura home but Tsukiko told them she would handle it on her own. I thought it'd be okay but it's best to know if she's okay. She seems more depressed than she usually is."

Meanwhile, as the boys bathed in the hot springs, Tsukiko bought the four bowls of ramen and had extra money for souvenirs. She walked into a gift shop and saw jewelry dedicated to the Heart Chakra, represented by rose quartz. One piece of jewelry caught her eye, a necklace that looked similar to the first hokage's necklace, but with a rose quarts stone. She immediately thought of Sasori. She also felt guilty about their argument, and hoped that this necklace would calm the tension between them. She bought two of the necklaces and two different designed rings for her mother and sister. She walked towards the jewelry dedicated to the solar plexus chakra, and bought two rings for Itachi and Deidara, because she saw them as brother-figures. Therefore, she saw them as her aids for manifestation. She happily walked over to the cash register, paid the expensive amount of money, and thanked God that her mother gave her enough money.

The boys finished bathing after about thirty minutes and got dressed. As they walked out, they saw Tsukiko holding the bowls of ramen. She was in leggings wearing a red sweater with her hair down and straight and not in her usually curly hair that she'd spend almost an hour perfecting. Sasori hesitated to walk up to her as she handed the food to Itachi and Deidara. "What's wrong?" Tsukiko asked Sasori. "You look like you saw a ghost." Sasori blushed and took the food from her hands. "Nothing." Sasori replied. "Well, we're gonna head back to our room." Deidara said. "Goodnight." "I'll see you two in the morning. Be up by eight a.m for breakfast." Itachi said, as he kissed Tsukiko's forehead and patted Sasori's head. "Goodnight. No more fighting, okay?" Itachi turned and left while Tsukiko and Sasori headed to their room. They walked in such an aloof manner, and Sasori was still feeling guilty from earlier. "Tsukiko… I'm sorry." Sasori said. "I didn't mean to start an argument with you. I was just worried about you. Because I felt like you couldn't trust me." "We can talk about it after we eat." Tsukiko said. "I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too. You already know I get uneasy when you don't eat." This made Sasori feel better, at the thought of Tsukiko still having a hint of care for him.

They walked into their room and sat down and ate. Sasori finished his food quickly and set up the bed while Tsukiko finished her food. Afterwards, she grabbed her new necklace that she bought at the gift shop earlier and sat down on the bed to put it on while Sasori laid and watch her. "Do I make you feel uneasy?" Tsukiko said, as she stood up and spread the window curtains to let the moon shine inside the room. "Lately, you have been." Sasori said. Tsukiko sat up on the end of the bed to face Sasori. She had his necklace in her hand but wanted to talk to him first before she gave it to him. "Why do I make you feel uneasy?" Tsukiko asked. "Because you can be scary."

"I don't mean to be. I'm just stern."

"So am I. So you don't need to be so overly sensitive."

"I'm not that sensitive."

"You are. And you can't even trust people."

"You're so mean."

"I'm not mean, Tsukiko. I'm just being honest with you. I don't have the heart to be mean to you. I promise."

"But you made me fall in cold water." Tsukiko's voice was getting lighter and cuter, and Sasori was trying so hard not to squeeze her into a tight hug.

"I didn't mean to make you fall in cold water. That was an accident. But don't think that I don't feel guilty. I really am sorry. I don't want your problems to get in the way of you and I." Sasori sat up and scooted up closer to face Tsukiko. "So can you forgive me? I still want to know what's truly going on with you and Jurou thought."

Tsukiko looked at Sasori's face. She already forgave him. In fact, she was never mad at him, just annoyed by some of his actions. She was afraid of telling Sasori that she loved him, not Jurou. But she was afraid that Sasori wouldn't love her back and was afraid of Jurou's actions. Most of all, she was afraid of being alone and feared Sasori's safety. Jurou's actions were unpredictable. She glanced at Sasori's face again and the moon made his grey eyes sparkle.

"I can trust you?" Tsukiko said, this time in her cutest voice ever. Sasori clenched his fists, holding back from cuddling Tsukiko. "I promise you can." Sasori replied. Tsukiko stood up and turned the lights off and the only source of light became the bright moon. She sat back down and faced Sasori again.

"I don't want to be alone." Tsukiko said. "I was never mad at you, so there's no need for me to forgive you. In fact, I'm sorry for saying that you never changed. I was just trying to sound mean even though I shouldn't have done that to you. I don't love Jurou, but I'm his prisoner. If I leave him, I would be lonely, and I don't want to be alone. I don't have any close friends because of my busy schedule, and Jurou always reminds me of that. I want to leave him because he hurts me, but his actions are unpredictable and I'm afraid of what he can do to my family and I. I hope you understand."

Sasori wrapped the blanket around her to keep her warm. "Aren't you cold?" Tsukiko asked. "I'll be fine." Sasori said. "I hope you realize that you're not alone. He's playing with your mind because he only wants you for himself. During my hang outs with Naruto and the rest of the gang, they always talk positively about you. So how can you say that you're alone? On top of that, Itachi, Deidara, and I don't just see you as comrades. I see you as my best friend. Deidara and Itachi see you as their little sister, and you're someone we want to protect. Stop keeping those pessimistic thoughts that Jurou has planted in your head. It pisses me off because the way you constantly say that you're alone makes me feel worthless. It makes everyone else feel worthless because we all care about you."

"But the people back in Takeda has always abandoned me." Tsukiko said. "Forget them." Sasori said. "How can you call yourself a counselor if you can't even teach your own self? You're making yourself a hypocrite. The amount of adversity in your life doesn't compare to the power of optimism that God has put in your life. That's what you've taught me ever since I met you, remember? I always think about that everyday, because it's had such a good effect on me to the point where I almost forgot I started the third shinobi world war. But thanks to someone like you, I feel like I have a good purpose in the world."

Tsukiko looked down and let Sasori's positive words encourage her. He was right about everything. She leaned forward and put the necklace on Sasori. She's never been this close to him, and it made Sasori's body warm up. As she leaned back, she smiled at him and grabbed her rose quartz stone on her necklace. "We match." Tsukiko said. Sasori looked down and grabbed his rose quartz stone. "That's for you." Tsukiko said. "You're right about everything. I was only concerned about your safety from Jurou."

"He doesn't scare me." Sasori said, laying back down still holding on to the stone. "Why'd you get me this, Tsukiko?"

"It represents the heart chakra."

"What about it?"

"Well it's one of the ways I express my love for someone."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Sasori looked at Tsukiko with heat forming in his cheeks. He didn't know how to respond, as he doesn't remember any girl tell him that he loves her. He didn't know whether she meant it as a friend or as a lover, but regardless, he was happy he heard those words. But he knew Tsukiko wasn't the type to be unfaithful to anyone, so she must've meant it as a friend. "Did you hear that?" Tsukiko asked. "I love you." She gave Sasori one of the sweetest smiles in the world. "I love you too." Sasori replied.

Tsukiko was heart broken inside. Though she knew Sasori and her team had no worries about what Jurou would threaten them with, she didn't want to leave Jurou yet in fear of what he might do. So all she could say was she loved Sasori as a friend, at least for now. "Should we get some rest?" Tsukiko asked. "Yes." Sasori said. The two lay next to each other on the bed. Sasori turned his body to face Tsukiko as she faced up. He reached out to grab her hand and felt that it was still cold. "Why do you get cold so easily?" Sasori asked. "The blanket is so thick." "It's just my body." Tsukiko said as she turned her face to look at Sasori. His eyes were gleaming. " _This is all I can do for you at the moment."_ Sasori said in his mind. He pulled her closer to him and turned her body so that they were facing each other. He put her hands inside his shirt and Tsukiko felt how warm his body was. "I'm glad I'm not a puppet anymore." Sasori said, as he wrapped his arms around Tsukiko. "Please don't think I'm being creepy. I just want to help." Both of their faces were red but they couldn't see each other since Tsukiko was leaning her forehead against Sasori's chest. " _He's so warm_." Tsukiko said in her mind. " _It makes me feel happy._ "

"Sleep." Sasori whispered in his low raspy voice.


	9. Chapter 9 - Not Alone

Chapter 9 – Not alone

Team Itachi headed on the road and reached the Land of Birds. Though the trip was long, they were desperate to get home, and got home a week later. Lady Tsunade gave the team at least a whole two weeks off before they are assigned another mission.

On the first night of the team's return, at around 8 pm, Tsukiko was asked by Jurou to spend the night. She agreed to do so, as long as Kakashi gave her permission to. She brought her pajamas, underwear and toothbrush with her in her backpack, to sleep comfortably. Tsukiko put her shoes on near the front door and Kakashi walked up to her wiping a dish with a towel as he wore her mom's apron. Kakashi sighed. "You're mom will be back tomorrow afternoon." Kakashi said. "I know you're 18 now but we're just concerned about you. The thought of you becoming a woman break my heart." "I don't plan on doing something like that, otosan." Tsukiko said. Kakashi blushed. "O-otosan?!" Kakashi exclaimed. Tsukiko smiled at him. "Am I making you feel old?" Tsukiko asked.

"No. " Kakashi replied. "I've just never been called otosan before."

"Well thank you for taking care of my sister and I."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Please watch over my sister for tonight." Tsukiko requested. "I'll be back early in the morning."

"I'll watch over her, don't worry."

"Thank you otosan."

"Take an umbrella, it's raining outside."

Tsukiko grabbed the umbrella and walked out the door while Kakashi finished doing his chores for the night. She headed to Jurou's house and knocked on his door. He let her in without giving a greeting and Tsukiko walked in. She felt uneasy. "You're finally back." Jurou said, bringing Tsukiko against the wall. "You didn't even talk to me this morning when you returned." "I had to go see the Hokage." Tsukiko said. "And my mom is gone until tomorrow so I had to help Kakashi do some chores."

"Another man is living with you?"

"Kakashi-sensei has been dating my mom for a few months now."

Jurou leaned in closer to Tsukiko to gently kiss her. He grabbed her wrist with one hand while he pulled her in closer by her waist with his other hand. Tsukiko's heart was beating, feeling only a hint of love and more of fear. Jurou's increasing aggressiveness in his actions such as heavier kissing and groping was giving her signs that he wanted to go all the way this time. She didn't like this idea, believing that she should only make love to someone she truly loves. His grip got harder and Tsukiko felt tears forming in her eyes due to the large amount of fear she was feeling. "Jurou." She mumbled in between kisses. She tried to loosen his grip but he wouldn't budge. Jurou held her by her neck. "Don't move." Jurou said. Tsukiko didn't listen. She kicked him and pushed him away, catching her breath. She quickly exited running away as fast as she can.

The first person she thought of to go to for comfort was her God, asking for protection, and then Sasori. Jurou ran after her. "Tsukiko!" Jurou yelled, with an angry expression on his face. She ran faster, and turned corners trying to lose Jurou. When she reached Itachi's apartment, she knocked as loud as she can. "Sensei! Sasori! Deidara!" Tsukiko yelled knocking loudly on the door. Sasuke and Sakura ran to door and opened. "What the hell is going on?!" Sasuke yelled. Itachi ran out of the kitchen while Sasori and Deidara ran from their rooms. Tsukiko bent over trying to catch her breath. She was soaked from the rain and shivering. Itachi pulled Tsukiko close to him and held her as she leaned on his chest. "Sasuke, get a towel." Itachi said. Sasuke did what he was told. "What happened?" Sasori asked, with a look of worry in his big grey eyes. "Jurou… I'm so tired of him." Tsukiko said, in between sobs.

"What did he do this time?" Sakura asked. From the looks of it, Itachi saw that she had enough of Jurou bullshit. "I wasn't ready to go too far so I ran away before he tried to do anything further. He was being so aggressive and it was hurting my body." Tsukiko said. Sasori felt his face heat up from anger, and a bit of jealousy at the same time.

Jurou caught up to Tsukiko and saw her surrounded by her friends. "You little bitch!" Jurou said catching his breathe. Sasori walked up to him and tackled him down and punched him repeatedly. "Learn how to treat a real woman, you piece of shit!" Sasori said. Deidara ran to stop Sasori while Sasuke wrapped the towel around Tsukiko.

Sasori got off of Jurou after a few more punches and Jurou stood up. "Don't you dare go against me! Any of you!" Jurou exclaimed. "That piece of shit better be thankful I've been there for her when no one else was!" Itachi, still holding on to Tsukiko, began to feel angry. "Don't brainwash her any further." Itachi said. "Tsukiko was never alone this whole time. She had us. You may have done something to make her feel alone during her time in Takeda but her real friends, everyone here in Konoha except you, can clearly see that she's pure at heart."

"That's not true! She should be thankful I was there to love her when she was too busy to even see anyone! It's proof she has no friends."

"No, Jurou, what you did was control her to keep her for yourself for your own selfish desires, just to renew your reputation. You know it's true."

"You don't know anything!"

"I do."

Tsukiko was listening to Itachi defend her while Deidara held Sasori back. Sakura and Sasuke watched. "Sasori, Deidara, get under the roof before you two catch a cold." Itachi said, and continued to talk to Jurou. "You need to stay away from us. I'll be reporting this to the Hokage as soon as possible."

"Don't you dare keep her away from me!" Jurou exclaimed. "You should thank Tsukiko she gave you your last few moments in Konoha." Itachi said. "Don't expect to come back here ever again after what you've done to her."

"Speak for yourself, you little shit. I never killed my whole clan."

"You seem to have no knowledge about this village whatsoever, do you? It's enough proof that you don't belong here. Please leave."

"No!"

"You need to leave. Tsukiko has friends. She has us no, regardless of whether she has time for all of us or not. But she knows we love her. As for you, you have no love for her whatsoever."

"Asshole!" Jurou yelled and attempted to run to Itachi and tackle him but was stopped by Sasori's puppet strings. Sasuke pushed him back and held Jurou's hands behind his back. "Leave, you're disrupting the peace that we've all worked hard for." Sasuke said. Jurou aggressively pulled his hands back and glared at Tsukiko.

"Fuck you." Jurou said. "You deserve to be alone. You little piece of shit. You'll come running back to me when you realize you're alone." Sasuke gave him one last punch. "Bitch." Jurou said to Sasuke, before running off in the rain.

Everyone turned towards Tsukiko, who gently pulled away from Itachi to wipe her tears. "Thank you." She whispered. Sasori gave her a hug. "You can spend the night here if it makes you feel safer." Itachi said. "I'll talk to Kakashi and your mom, just to let them know what happened. I think it's best to let your guardians know, just for your own safety. But before that, I'm gonna have to talk to Lady Tsunade about this."

"I'm sorry if I bothered any of you." Tsukiko said, guilty. "Don't be sorry." Sasuke said. "To be honest, we all kind of felt suspicious about that guy. We were just waiting for you to finally tell us. Well, we didn't expect it to happen like this."

"Come inside and we'll warm you up." Itachi said. "If you're hungry, feel free to eat anything. Sasori, do you mind if she uses your room to shower and change?"

"I don't mind." Sasori smiled. They all walked inside while Sasori led Tsukiko to his room.

Upon entering his room and closing the door, Deidara, Sasuke, and Sakura sat in the living room while Itachi continued cleaning the kitchen. Then they all peaked their heads towards the hallway. "I ship them so hard." Itachi said.

Meanwhile, Sasori was warming up the bath for Tsukiko. "I'm sorry I got you involved in this." Tsukiko said. "On top of that, I just showered and now I'm soaking wet." Sasori just smiled. He walked towards her and lifted her chin up. "Weren't you the one who told me that everything happens for a reason?" Sasori said. "I don't want you to be sorry. I'm pretty happy that son of a bitch isn't going to be in your life anymore."

"Sasori… language."

"Sorry… But all I'm saying is I care about you, and I'm happy I got to defend you and help you."

"Thank you…"

Sasori smiled and felt the water to see if it was warm enough while Tsukiko looked in her backpack. She noticed her extra pajamas weren't in the bag, but just her underwear. "I'm so stupid!" Tsukiko exclaimed, realizing she left it on top of her bed. "What's wrong?" Sasori asked. "I left my extra clothes on top of my bed." Tsukiko replied.

"You have extra… um… you know, what you wear under your clothes, right?" Sasori was too shy to say underwear, and blushed. "Yes." Tsukiko replied shyly.

"Well then don't worry about it. I'll let you borrow one of my shirts. It'll be large enough to cover your petite body."

"I'll wash it for you when I'm done with it."

"Don't even worry about it."

Sasori felt the water one more time, feeling that it was warm enough. "You can go in now." Sasori said, walking towards the bathroom's exit. "If you need anything, just let me know." Sasori closed the door behind him and Tsukiko took her wet clothes off and bathed.

Itachi knocked on Sasori's door. "Come in." Sasori said. Itachi entered with a bowl of ramen and a cup of water. "Give this to Tsukiko when she finishes." Itachi said. "Do you mind if she sleeps here with you tonight?" "I don't mind." Sasori replied. "Besides, I wanna try to get her mind off of what just happened outside."

"Good. Hey you said you liked her right?"

"Shhh!" Sasori freaked out and sulked. "She's right in the bathroom! She might hear you!" Sasori whispered loudly. Itachi giggled and set the food on the nightstand. "This might be your chance to take your relationship with her to another level." Itachi said. "Did anything happen the night you two slept together at the hotel during our mission?"

"All we did was make up and talk. She gave me the necklace too and said she loved me but she probably only meant it as a friend."

"Maybe because she was still with Jurou at that time. You never know, things might change tonight."

"I actually hope so."

"Me too. Just don't do anything provocative in my house. Well, at least don't be too loud."

"Itachi-san!" Sasori exclaimed, blushing. "I'm just teasing." Itachi laughed. "But at least think about confessing that you truly love her. I mean, she does deserve to be happy and honestly I think you two would be so adorable together."

"What should I tell her?"

"Well, first of all, you should tell her you love her first."

"Okay."

"Then tell her why you love her. All the reasons why."

"Got it."

"Then if she accepts, congratulations. If she doesn't, don't be hurt, she might need some time getting over Jurou. But don't be doubtful."

"Thank you sensei."

"Make sure she eats the ramen. Call me if you two need anything." Itachi exited the room as Sasori waited for Tsukiko to finish bathing.


End file.
